Keynote spotlight

Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, where she specializes in mental health, Black health, and qualitative research focused on children, youth, women, and equity-seeking populations. She earned her PhD in Public Health from the University of Toronto and previously completed postdoctoral research at the University of Ottawa examining stigma and intersectionality in mental health contexts.

Dr. Jackson-Best has over 15 years of experience in health research, knowledge translation, project development, and project management, and has held academic and teaching roles internationally. She also served as Project Manager for Black Health Alliance leading the Pathways to Care initiative to improve access to culturally responsive mental health and addictions services for Black families across Ontario. Her scholarly work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and reflects her commitment to advancing equity, community-engaged research, and systemic change in public health. Her current research explores the impact of Islamophobia on the mental health of Black Muslims, Muslims, and Muslim women in Canada.